Machine for peeling vegetables.



PATENTBD JULY 9,1907.

ROBINSON. MACHINE FOR FEELING VEGrE'IABLES.rv

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21, 1904.'

\ 2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

UNITED smrnsA PATENT onsron.

HENRY ROBINSON, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO ROBINSON MACHINE COMPANY,

. A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

yirtaornrin Fon To all whom 'it may concern:

Be lit known that I, HENRY ROBINSON, a resident of Newark, county of Essex, State of ewJersey, have invented. a certain new and useful Improvement in Machines for Peeling Vegetables, of which the following is a specification.

avoided; the production of means for the above purpose adapted to be driven by power. and possessing ele-. v

ments of strength combined with lightness and of small expense in manufacture; improvements'in machinesv of the general type to which this improvement belongs whereby the escape of water during operation is pre vented, provision of special means for oiling the `parts of a machine of this type so'as to avoid all danger of getting'oil upon thevmaterial to be peeled; the provisionl'of brushes of such a nature that they will peel smooth, hard skinned fruit, like apples, as well as other vegetable products heretofore capable of treatment in machines of the type to which this belongs; and in gens eral the provision of'certain minor improvements in detail hereinafter set forth and claimed.

This invention is illustrated in a preferred form in the accompanying drawings wherein I Figure 1 is a side elevation of a power machine shown partly in section,y Fig. 2 is a plan view of the removable chute, Fig. r is an enlarged sectional view of the i construction at the -pointwhere the pot is set down upon its support, Fig. 4 is a plan view of the horizontal spider used to support the rotating brushes, Fig. 5 is a plan view of that portion ofthe framework which provides the lower' bearing for the rotating parts of the device,

and Fig. 6 vis' a cross section of the horizontal ring shown in Fig. 5. i f

.In the form shown the machine is mounted on a table or stand-1, to which the legs 2 of the machine are bolted. These legs 2`arc united strongly near the lower ends'by the framework shown in Figi 5 which consists oi a horizontal iiat .ring 3 having four extensions 4 turned down' as at.5 to accommodate bolts 6 whereby `the ring is securely fastened tothe legs 2. For greater strength I prefer to provide lugs 7 on the legs 2 upon which the down turned -ends 5 rest.

The ring 3 hasin cross section thel shapeshow'nin Fig. .6, being provided with a -vertical circulafilanige shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5 and in section in Fig. 6,

Speccation of Letters Patent.4 Application iiled June 21,1904. Serial No. 218,522.

PEELING VEGETABIQES.

Patented July 9, 1907.

and this vertical rib is also carried out under the extensions fi. Cast in one piece with the ring 3, are four arched braces 8 curving downward to a common central hub 9 which contains the lower main bearing of the machine. As will be seen, the upper ring `3 with its excure the bearing 9 at the central point between legs 2. Thel upper surface of the ring 3 isprovided with two upwardly extending guide ridges l0 thus forming a seat between said ridges whereon is'bol ted the bearing blockV 11' for the driving shaft of the machine.

The upper ends of the legs 2 carry the shallow bowl 12 which has a central hub carrying a circular ball bearing shown at 13. This hub` extends downward under the bowl l2 and carries the upper bearing for the cential vertical spindle 14. This central spindle is hollow and carries at its upper extremity the cast iron spider 15 on which ythe brushes 16 are carried. The preferred form of thisspider is shown in Fig: 4 where it is illustrated as consisting'of the ribbed circularportion l? joined to a central hub 18 by three ribbed arms 19. i

The various partsoi the spider are-al1 formedrespectively of' angle and T iron having vertical and horizontal ribs and the horizontal ribs of theangle iron are` so disposed asl-to provide a seat or support for each of the brushes 16. There are three of these brushes each hav- ,Y ing the shape of the angular space between the vertical ribs on the arms 19 and withinthe outer circle (see Fig. 4i. In this last named figure one of these spaces is filled with the solid back on which the bristles ofthe brush 16 are carried, but which bristles are omitted for tensions 4 act together with the braces 8 to firmly seclearness in the figure. The edges .of the horizontal supporting ledge ori rib are shown in dotted lines to indicate that they lie behind the brush.

The advantage of thisconstruction is facilitates the removal of brushesflessens the cost of construction and the weight of the machine, and prevents accumulation of water behind the backs of the brushes which would cause rotting.

On the hub 18 of the spider 15 there is preferably mounted ahollow column 20 'extending to a point near the top ofthe machine. The main spindle l1li' which extends from the centerioi the spider v15 down through the various bearings -of the machine, is hollow that i'tgreatly 'andthe water supply -pipe 21 passes upv through the center oiv said main shaft and through the center of the orsprinkling means 22 is applied to the top of 'the pipe `21. This pipe 'is employed to supply water from "hollow spindle 20.V v Any fconvenent water distributany desired source 'but in the drawings are shownthe preerred'form of my device wherein the water is supplied by any convenient form of centrifugal pump 23 fastened to the side of a supply tank 24 which is illed with water before beginning to use the machine. Y

In the'l preferred power .machine shown in the .drawing, the spindle 14 and the spider 15 and brushes 16 carried thereby are 'driven by a driving shaft25 which turns in the bearing block 11 held between the ridgesY 10 on the ring 3. The bevel gear 26 on this shaft pipe 31 intoone end of the tank 24. I prefer to cause the bowl '12 in any well known manner.k .55

the vwater discharged through the pipe 31 to fall into 'a special strainer as shown in Fig. 1. The refuse discharged through the pipe' 31 falls past the handle 32 and sinks to the horizontal plate 33, while the water is strained through the perforated upright portion of the strainer, shown at 34. This entire device may be made from'one piece of sheet iron, being bent downward at the front and sides as shown so as vto leave a spaceunder the horizontal plate 33.

When it is desired to clean out the tank, the refuse is lifted out on the strainer which can be raisedby. means of the handle 32, and access can then be had to every part of the tank.

Ifthe apertures in theI vertical screen 34should prove at any time insufficient for discharge f the water, an overflow will take place over the top of said riser which is made lower than the top of the inain tank to prevent loss of water therefrom.

The vegetables to be treated are contained in a pot" A 35 preferably shaped as 'shown in Fig. 1. This pot is provided with a door 36`which can be opened to permit exit of the vegetables. The pot consists of an. outer metal wall 37 against which the brush backs 38 are secured preferably by means Vof upper and lowert rings 39 and 40 as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Y

As shown in Fig. 3, the lower ring 40 has a downwardly extending flange 41 fitting closely to the bottom of the bowl 12 all around the edge of the bowl.

The outer edge of the bowl 12 is extended upward in' a circular ring 42 which extends all around the ring 40 andiits closely 'against it. vBy use of the fia-nge 41 .and ring 42 I prevent the water which enters the bowl Y 12 from escaping from'the vessel under the influence e of the centrifugal force to which it is subjected during operation of the machine. Thel ring 40 :is secured to Outside ofthe bowl 12 just under the door 36 Iprefer to supply sockets43 into which the down turned base 44 of the chute 45 is made to fit'. The chute can thus i be drawn out of the sockets and removed at pleasure.

This l is an important feature where machines of this kind are to be shipped,l as the projectingchute would be very apt to be damaged or broken off during transportationifletin place.'

The bristles ofthe br`ushes which line the pt 35 are indicated at 146 in the same manner as the bristles are indicated on the revolving brushes 16. The brush surf aliases face is left blank in Fig. 1 except at the plane of section in order to better illustratethe other features of the machine and prevent obscurity.

l I have found that by using brushes madeof wire drawn from metal of a springy nature and with the lengths oi wire extending about an inch above the surface of the brush backs, the machine hereinrdescribed will serve to peel smooth skinned fruits such as apples as easily as it will peel rough skinned vegetables like potatoes. This result cannot be obtained by the use of bristles, grass brushes, whalebone brushes or the like,

all of which-are more or less adapted to use for peeling potatoes.

I have found that German silver and certain springy alloys of aluminium are suitable for this purpose. These metals do not rust and will not color the vegetables.

The operation of this machine is the same as that of other machines of the same general type except that it automatically produces its own water circulation sys tem in the manner heretofore described.

The provision of means for easily oiling machines of this character without danger of gettingthe oil on the material treated is an important feature of my device. Ivprovide means 'whereby oil is conveyed directly to the bearings, whatever their nature and whereby the' oil is kept always below the material -being treated.

InvFig. 1 is shown the oiling tube/46 which extends through the edge of the bowl 12, `along the bottom thereof and into a.cavity within the hub of the bowl. This last named cavity extends first inward toward the center and then upward to the ball bearing .13, where it opens to permit the oil to fiow on the balls. The outer opening of the tube '46 is brought up, as shown, to a point higher than the ball bearing, and consequently the oil is caused to How in this bearing and thence down around the hollow spindle 14 where it passes through its upper bearing.

The tank 24 is very vu leful when attached to the stand 1', in providing a weight which steadies the whole' machine and makes it unnecessary to bolt the stand to a floor or foundation. In the form shown in Fig. 1 this is accomplished by fastening the legs of the stand b y means of lbrackets 47 to a bottom .board 48 and securing the tank 24 to the same board by'means of brack ets 49. Any other mode. of connection between the tank and stand would be within the scope of my invention, however. l

While I have shown this device i-n a form adapted to power operation itt-is to be understood that this invention applies to the construction shown and described as adapted to operation in any well known manner..

Many changes can be'made in the various parts 0f this device without departing` from 'the'scope of this Ainvention'and- I am not to-be understood as limiting myself -to the details hereinshown and described. WhatIclaimis- 1.` kIn a device of lthe class described, a stationary bowl, a removable pot itting. on the edge of; said bowl, a down- `inner edge of said bowlfan'd an' upwardly turned ring on siiid bowl fitting outside the'iower -edge 'ofsaid pot, sub-- stantially 'as described.

2. In a device. of the class described, a containing vessel, a rotary disk within' the same, sprinkling Ameans above said ydisk, e. 4tank'below said vessel, driving gear for said disk; a 'pumpv yconnected 'to said driving gearfor conveying wstertrom said tank tosaid sprinkler, a discharge opening from the bottom .of'said vessel to said tank'and means for separating the refuse from the water as it comes throngh said discharge opening, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the class`descrlbed, a peeling machine, a water tank beneath it, a removable perforated strainer in said tank, means for carrying water from oneside of said strainer to said peeling machiney and means for discharging water from said machine to the other side of said strainer, substantially as described.

4. In a device o the class described, a peeling machine,

a water tank beneath it, a removable strainer in one end of said tank comprising a horizontal part and a perforated vertical part, means for carrying water from said tank to said peeling machine and means for discharging water from said machine behind the vertical part andl over the 15` horizontal part oi saidiremovable strainer, substantially as described; l

` HENRY ROBINSON.

Witnesses :r p.

II. S. MACKAYE,

FLORENCE PICK. l 

